With the holidays nearly in full swing, crowds everywhere, frenetic activity and lots of over-indulgence in food and alcohol going on around you, it’s more important than ever to be equipped to save a life when cardiac arrest hits.

And it can hit, anywhere, anytime. Any number of factors can lead to SCA (Sudden Cardiac Arrest), including numerous physical traumas, anaphylactic shock due to severe allergic reaction, and more. In fact, about 35% of all SCA events are unrelated to heart disease of any kind. Two medical researchers from Arizona have recently developed a new form of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), called Continuous Chest Compression CPR, that seems to double the SCA victim’s chances of survival. Best of all, it’s actually simpler than the older protocols and doesn’t require mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

To learn how to apply this life-saving technique yourself, just watch this short video:

PLEASE NOTE: as the video says, this form of CPR is not for use with infants, young children or drowning victims.

Happy holidays and I sincerely hope you never have to use this technique!